Pokemon: Journey to Saman
by Last Legal Drug
Summary: The story of a brave and diverse group of explorers who set sail for the ancient land of Saman, rumoured to be home to many strange and unique creatures.
1. Prologue: Opportunities Await

_Hello, everyone. :) The name's Belinda, but I'm known as Last Legal Drug in many places – either name is fine really. Now, this is the first fiction I've made available to the general public.. I've written dozens of things, but I'm a very shy person naturally and sharing the things I write is possibly one of the most personal things I could do. Weird, maybe, but it's just one of those things. I'd like to think I have a peculiar style – as you'll notice soon enough, I'm not very prone to providing descriptions of my characters (especially in a story such as this that will feature at the very least 13 major characters!). I've never been quite good at it, but hopefully that will not draw away from the overall story. I feel readers should be able to use their imaginations to see the characters as they wish to see them, anyway. Moving on then, this story is a prequel to a Pokemon based video game I'm in the process of making. This story will serve as a large introduction of sorts, introducing the major concepts of the video game such as the land of Saman and the characters that encounter it in the past. But enough rambling then. I hope you'll enjoy my story. If you review, be gentle; it's my first time after all! ;p_ - **Last Legal Drug**

****** -----**

******************Prologue - Opportunities Await**

It was nearing the afternoon and once again, Kane sat in the back corner of his dull English classroom, turned unconsciously towards the windows as his eyes were locked on the docks just outside. Sighing softly into the palm of his right hand into which he rested his head, he watched the calm waves of the ocean brush up against the shore, washing away bits of seaweed and discarded shells and leaving a smooth layer of light brown sand in its wake. Nearby, sailors were unloading a small fishing boat which had just come to shore. As Kane watched on, he could see the looks of discontent on their faces as they unloaded the very meager buckets of fish they were fortunate enough to catch. Lately, the small village had been experiencing quite the difficulties with its number one trade – a trade that was quickly dwindling in its value. The fact was there was simply nothing left to be caught. The year's harvest proved to be unsatisfactory at best and the town was in trouble. The ground was not fertile enough to grow crops, nor was the village wealthy enough to import very much; if they did not find a way to improve their fishing industry, they would surely run out of resources.

Abruptly, Kane's train of thought was interrupted as a large wooden ruler came crashing down into his desk with a loud boom, causing him to start and jump back in his seat. Looking up angrily, his expression suddenly changed to that of slight panic as he realized it was his teacher, Mrs. Cromwell. Before he could utter a word, she had taken his wrist quite roughly and pulled him to his feet.

"Mr. Scarborough," came the shrill and irate cry, "I'm quite tired of this routine. Every day this summer, you have come to my class only to stare into space for the whole of the lessons. You haven't been handing in your assignments, you've BARELY passed your tests, and quite frankly, I'm at my wit's end with you! Do you have anything to say in your defense?"

Swallowing slightly, he glanced at her hand, gripping ever tighter at his wrist, before looking her directly in the eyes and responding, "– could you lighten up a bit there? You're cutting off the circulation of blood to my hand."

"– YOUNG MAN," she shrieked – meanwhile, his classmates snickering at the hilarious display put forth before them – as she yanked him out from behind his desk and uncomfortably closer to her, "This is the FINAL and LAST straw! I'll make sure you never disrupt my class ever again!"

And with that, she pulled him out of the classroom, and out of the schoolhouse, for the last time.

-----

"This is humiliating. Utterly humiliating. What are we going to tell the council?" The man grumbled, smoothing his goatee with his fingers absent-mindedly. "The village is depending on us and we can barely catch enough at a time to feed the village for a few days. Once the leaves start turning in fall, there won't be very much fish at all to catch with the way things are going. We haven't made enough funds on the little we've caught to enable us to stock up on supplies for the winter. We're in deep, deep trouble, Darius."

The other man sighed, shifting in his seat in the small cabin as he sifted through the stack of papers on the table before him. "I wish it weren't the case this time, but you're right, Locke. What do you suppose we do?"

"I wish I knew, my friend. I truly do," Locke mumbled, slowly pacing back and forth in front of the table.

Suddenly, there came a rapping at the door. Taking no notice of the noise, Darius continued to concentrate on the facts and figures written plainly on the papers in his hands. Locke took this cue and walked straight for the door. As he opened it, his brows raised slightly as he caught sight of the figure on the other side. He was unlike the rest of those in the village. Slightly taller than Locke himself, young, and brilliantly dressed – this was no commoner.

"'ello lad, how can we be of service to you today?" He greeted the newcomer in his usual friendly fashion.

"Ah yes, I trust that you are the Mr. Wickham that I have heard so much about?" Smiled the young man eagerly.

"Aye, but you can call me Locke," he nodded, giving way for the man to enter the cabin. "But enough with pleasantries. What exactly have you heard about me that brings ya to our humble cabin this day?"

The man grinned as he stepped past Locke and into the dull lit fishing cabin, looking about curiously at his new surroundings, "You are exactly as they say – blunt and to the point. Precisely one of the qualities that drew me to your particular business. I understand you're a sailor and fisherman, yes?"

"Indeed I am, lad. But you've yet to tell me your particular purpose here."

Nodding in understanding, the man put his right hand forth and looked him directly in the eyes, "Ian Webb, an ahh – entrepreneur of sorts. You may address me as Webb. I've come to seek your assistance."

Locke took his hand in a strong handshake, and stared him back in the eyes, "What kinda assistance, may I ask?"

"Well, this is going to seem odd," he took his hand back and grinned, "I've been in your quaint little village but a few hours, and I've come to truly admire your spirit. You're all fighting so hard to make ends meet despite the obvious lack of resources. That is why I've decided to help you."

Narrowing his eyes slightly in suspicion, Locke stroked his goatee just as before as he closely scrutinized the young man before him, stealing a glance now and then to Darius who was secretly listening in on the conversation at hand, "Help us? That's quite a noble proposition for a stranger. There is a catch, am I right?"

"Catch – such a negative sounding word, isn't it? I'd like to think of this as an – opportunity," he said as-matter-of-factly as he began to rummage through the front pocket of his fancy red jacket, pulling out a single folded sheet of paper, frail and brown. He turned his back on Locke for a moment, stepping before the table at which Darius sat before slipping the paper gently onto the table and sliding it towards the – now quite curious – young man. "I'm about to give you and your friend here the opportunity of a lifetime!"

Quietly, Darius took the sheet of paper between his thumb and index fingers. It was parchment paper, appearing quite old, and sensing its frailty, he unfolded it with utmost carefulness, a thin dust falling from the decaying sheet onto the table. As he did so, Locke joined the two men, sitting besides Darius as he watched him open the sheet intently. What unfolded before the three men was quite the curiosity – an intricately drawn map depicting several large masses of land and vast oceans surrounding the former. On the left side of the sheet, they could make out their country quite clearly, as well as a few other surrounding countries with which some of the wealthier areas practiced trade with. Towards the right side of the paper lay several other countries which the two seamen could not recognize – but more curiously was the island that lay in the center of it all. It was no larger than any of the islands which surrounded the southern region of their own country, yet it seemed to be the most detailed and outstanding of the lands on the entire map. To add towards its peculiarity, below it in very stylized script lie a strange bit of writing, unlike any they had ever seen before.

Many moments passed as the three gazed at the map before Darius finally turned his gaze to the strange Mr. Webb, "It's a very peculiar map indeed. However, I fail to see what a man such as you would have to do with it, or how it would help our village solve its fishing dilemma."

Webb remained unscathed by the man's cynicism, as if he were expecting such a retort, and continued to grin slyly as he spoke on, "It may not come to your surprise that I come from a very – distinguished family. Well, my family discovered this map before I was born, and upon discovering it myself in our archives, it has haunted me so. Just a few years ago, I commissioned very qualified historians, archaeologists, linguists, geologists, and the like – all in order to learn more and perhaps even translate the writing on the map before you. They succeeded."

At this point, the two listeners seem engrossed in his story and he paused only a moment to let what he had said take its full effect on them before he continued, rather hesitantly, with the question, "Are either of you familiar with the legend of Saman?"

"A land of wilderness and monsters, where bad little boys and girls go when they don't listen to mum and dad," Locke chuckled in amusement. "That bedtime story is almost as ancient as myself. But what has that got to do with anything?"

"Well, we were quite cynical about this at first.." Webb continued, growing slightly quieter and more serious in expression. "But we've confirmed it time and time again and there could be no other alternative. The island on that map is indeed the land told of in legends and stories."

"This is where I'm going to have to interject," Darius shot the man a bitter look. "Saman is a story and nothing more. Are you trying to tell us such a land actually exists?"

"Yes. I realize it might be a bit much to swallow as of yet, but I assure you this is no jest. The words on that map before you, although they took some time to translate, label the island very clearly as "Isle of Saman." Trust me, I was quite cynical at first too and nearly abandoned the project. However, my researchers had discovered much more. The artists behind that map were the Naajkit, a very ancient tribe of people, nearly lost to the history books. They were quite savage compared to our current way of living – but very intelligent nonetheless. They developed their own system of writing, and in the few texts left behind by their people, they make much mention of this Saman. They go into such lengths as to describe the creatures inhabiting it and the power in which they possessed. In their drawings, they depict such a variety of creatures – small and massive, colourful and unusual, ones that can fly or swim the oceans."

"That's very fascinating and all," Locke sighed, "but many ancient tribes worshiped unusual fictional creatures of their own devising. What makes these people any different?"

"An excellent question. Well, the Naajkit were a very unique tribe of people. You are familiar with the Polajk who inhabited the southern region of the country before our ancestors settled here?"

"Yes. Well, I can recall them mentioning it in school back when I was a sprog. What about them?"

"This tribe only inhabited that particular area of our country and nothing more. Well, the fascinating thing about the Naajkit that has stumped many researchers is that they were found to be everywhere. The cold lands to the north, the tropical islands to our south, our country itself – they inhabited many countries in their time. This meant that they must have had some means of travel."

Darius interrupted, "But there were no boats or ships at the time, how could they have possibly made the journey?"

"Exactly. They must have had some other means of travel, but what? Well, in one of their texts, we found faint mention of these creatures – massive, blue, seagoing creatures with hard shells upon their backs. The ancient tribes were quite friendly with these creatures, it appears, and this would surely explain their means of travel to such distant countries. It also explains how they would have been able to almost perfectly map out the world in such a way as you have seen here. They had help. These ancient creatures might not just be a bedtime story as we have all been led to believe."

Slowly digesting this, Locke softly rubbed at his temples as he took another glance at the map on the table, "All right. This is all very interesting, Webb, I'm sure. Nevertheless, I have still yet to comprehend how any of this could be of any use to us. We're merely poor fishermen in trying times – most of us couldn't pronounce the word archaeology. Knowing this, what could you possibly want from us?"

Slowly reaching forward and taking the map in his hands, Webb held the fragile paper up into the light of a window nearby, staring at it heedfully before daintily folding it as before and slipping it into his pocket. "My purpose here is quite simple. Yes, you are but a lowly village and my presence here may seem surprising. The simple fact is I am quite bored of my stately life in the north. This discovery has thrilled me in ways I cannot express, and I am prepared to pay quite the large sum in order to travel out to this land and see for myself something that has been hidden from us for hundreds of years. I realize this is a risky venture and not very many fishermen would take me on with my offer. However, as I understand, your village is quite desperate for help. You also possess very fine ships that seem capable enough to me to make such a journey with ease."

Giving the two men before him a final look over, he turned casually and walked very slowly towards the cabin door, the heels of his shoes hitting the wooden floor with a distinct bang. As he reached for the door handle, he turned his head slightly to look at the men indirectly, "I could ensure that your village has enough funds to make it through the rest of the summer, fall, winter and well into next year's spring. Not to mention, this adventure could reveal many new thriving areas of sea in which to continue your fishing trade. I simply request a capable ship and an equally capable crew, with which to travel with. I am prepared to pay you immediately; not to mention, anything valuable we find on our journey would be an equal share between all parties involved, of course. I am not in it for material gain, but simply for the prospect of a grand adventure."

"Well, this is quite a request you have made. I hope you do not expect an immediate answer," came the quaint response from Darius, who had already begun to shuffle through his papers once more.

Webb turned his back to the door and turned the handle, "Of course not, it would be absurd if I expected an immediate answer from you. I do ask that you think about it, however. I do not expect you will ever receive an offer such as this, if I may be so bold. But I digress. I will be in the area for three more days awaiting an answer – you may find me in the Mariner's Inn on the edge of the village. Please, I implore you, do not let this opportunity pass you by. I'll be waiting eagerly for a response."

On this final note, the young man opened the door and stepped outside, closing the door gently behind him. Locke and Darius sat quietly for the next few moments, most likely reflecting over the event that had just occurred. Finally, Locke stood and walked to the window nearest him, looking out towards the dock. The afternoon was coming to a close and the sky was beginning to turn a light orange; soon, the sun would set, bringing a close to another unsuccessful and unproductive day. The sailors, having little to do, were already cleaning the docks and readying to head home for the day. As the Captain of the St. Opal, one of the finest sailing vessels of their time, it disheartened him to see the once bustling port village in such a state. There was very little he himself could do, however, as the course of nature and the creatures in it were as unpredictable as the weather and could not be read simply.

Suddenly, there came a slight shuffling behind him, and in a moment, Darius stood beside him, hands behind his back as he stared out at the dock as well, "I'm afraid we don't have much time. The Council is going to want an answer. What do you propose we do?"

Locke sighed, stroking at his goatee absent-mindedly as he had done earlier, "We don't have very many choices, now, do we?"


	2. Chapter 1: Onwards to the Lost Land!

_In case any of you reading are wondering.. This IS a Pokemon fanfiction. However, being set in a time where the creatures have yet to be dicovered by civilized man, I feel a proper introduction and such is appropriate before the Pokemon appear within the story. The earliest I foresee this happening is in Chapter 3; if the content I have planned (in my head, anyway; I'm writing this all as I go along, really!) for Chapter 2 proves to be too short, I'll add some of the content of Chapter 3 that I have in mind. This may or may not mean Pokemon will appear in the next chapter.. I can't promise anything. Nonetheless, I hope whoever takes the time to read will enjoy the story so far. Thanks! _**-- The Last Legal Drug**

**-----**

******Chapter 1 - Onwards to the Lost Land!**

"Oyez, Oyez, Oyez! Captain Locke Wickham and crew to set sail for the land of legend at dawn tomorrow!"

The crier's bell rang throughout the now bustling village center. Shortly after receiving their offer, Locke and Darius, though hesitantly, accepted and made the proper arrangements for an immediate departure. Being a small village, the news took very little time to spread between its peoples after being approved and announced by the Council. Indeed, the voyage was quite the pleasant surprise to most; events such as this did not occur every year and many were in full support of the brave sailors to take on such a journey. Others, on the other hand, spoke sourly of the Captain's decision, denouncing he and his crew as fools. Yet the entirety of the village was to benefit from the situation; many workers rushed from their shops to deliver supplies to the large ship, the St. Opal, in exchange for much needed payment, provided generously by Webb himself. The man had also made sure to leave the Council with funds, in order to run and maintain the village while the ship and crew – which consisted of some of the village's best sailors and fishermen– were on their journey.

Overlooking the exchange of supplies and the general activity occurring around the docks, Locke could not help but smile slightly as he watched it all unfold. He had missed the sights and sounds of the bustling docks and it was surely heartwarming to have it back for even just a day. Even Darius, usually grim in demeanor and attitude, seemed happier as he directed the crew and workers with the necessary supplies and goods to their proper places. As Locke looked on in amusement, he felt a sudden pressure on his shoulder as someone placed their hand upon it, and he turned to see the ever smiling face of Ian Webb.

"Well, as far as I can see, it's all coming together quite nicely! I take it the crew has been chosen and assembled as well?" He said, taking his hand off his shoulder as he stepped forward and stood beside him.

"Indeed it has, lad. Besides myself, we have six able bodied crew members at our hands. Now, the St. Opal is old, but she's a fine ship, she is – my one and only. With Opal and crew, reaching Saman should be an easy task indeed," Locke explained to his comrade proudly. Yet, a frown slowly crept upon his face as he scratched his greying dirty blonde hair in thought. "I fear she may not fair well if we were to be attacked, however."

"I'd nearly forgotten. The eastern bound seas are nesting grounds for the despicable pirate breed," Webb's trademark smile vanished for only a moment as the thought crossed his mind.

"Aye, I've never encountered the lot, but I hear they're pretty ruthless in terms of attacking merchant ships and the like. Opal here is not completely defenseless fortunately; I had 'er armed with cannons back in the day, but we've never had much use for them. The buggers may not even work anymore," Locke spoke on softly as not to alarm anybody near enough to hear the conversation. "No worries, though, laddie. We'll take on each obstacle one at a time as we travel on."

"Indeed we will," Webb said, the cheerfulness in his voice returning in full.

-----

_Two days prior.._

As the day wore on, things seemed to be growing grimmer and grimmer for the young Kane. His dismissal from the Melburn schoolhouse was no significant surprise; he'd already been through the procedure quite a number of times in various other establishments. However, what he encountered on his arrival at the Scarborough Manor, his parents private estate on the edge of the dull village, was quite significant. Apparently, his parents had heard word about this "unfortunate event" before he could even reach the manor himself. He was greeted immediately at the door by a grim looking Mary, a pretty young servant girl employed by his parents whom he had befriended as a lonely child in the rich manor, holding a lone brown sack and an unsealed envelope. Despite his efforts, she spoke not a word to him, only handing him the two items before softly and hesitantly closing the door to the manor – and to the life he once knew.

The letter was not a very interesting read; his parents never were the expressive pair. It was written, in what appeared to be a haste coupled with the unsealed envelope, on plain stationary in black ink. The letter stated, rather bluntly, the following:

_"Kane,_

_Your father and I have quite enough of your tomfoolery. We have tried to be a civil and provide you with the education we once thought you deserved. We have given you everything you could have ever wanted and tried to raise you into a respectable member of high society. However, it is apparent now that you have no place here and deserve not to have such a privilege provided to you. It would simply by a waste to pursue such a course any longer. We've ordered Mary to pack your things. Whatever she misses or cannot fit will be immediately disposed of._

_You have shamed the name of Scarborough long enough. You no longer have a place in our home and we would appreciate that you find your place elsewhere._

_Mr. and Mrs. Scarborough"_

Walking slowly down a dirt path within the forest surrounding the manor, Kane couldn't help but chuckle as he read the letter once more. Shoving the letter into its envelope and into his brown sack, he held the bag over his shoulder and he looked straight on, brushing free strands of his long black hair out of his eyes with his free hand as he thought about the content of the letter. "Everything you could have ever wanted" – a lie if he had ever heard one. They gave him money and possessions, never paying heed to the things he truly longed for.

His train of thought was interrupted for a moment as he came to a fork in the road. Walking casually to the sign in its center, he could barely make out the almost ancient writing on the wooden arrows. "Scarborough Manor" was the most eligible, it's fancy scripted sign pointed back in the direction which he had just come from; "Melburn" was written sloppily on another sign, this one pointed westward. However, the eastern path had no sign. He looked down its dirt path and could not make out much through the foliage of the surrounding forests tree. Nevertheless, he thought he could recognize the ocean far off towards the horizon; this intrigued the young Kane. Since he was a child, he listened to tales of the seas with great interest, stories of brave sailors out at sea, the savage pirates who made it their home, and the legends of forgotten lands and creatures. High society was no place for him, but a life at sea would surely be an exciting one. He pondered the thought for no more than a moment before he adjusted his sack over his shoulder and without hesitation, marched down the old dirt road towards the shore, with anticipation – and newfound hope.

-----

Darius stood tall, arms folded behind his back as he surveyed the men before him. All seemed to be going according to plan, he thought contentedly to himself. The goods and supplies had been set up around the docks waiting to be loaded, the weather was looking to be the perfect weather for sailing with no storms in sight, and the crew was in high spirits. The voyage might just be their most successful in a long time. His thoughts returning to the matter at hand, he noticed approaching footsteps from behind and threw the men a readying glance; this caused them to come to full attention, the head of the crew, Glenn, saluting Locke as he approached them.

"At ease," came the warm reply from their Captain, the lot relaxing slightly at his command. "I understand all the preparations are finished and the crew is ready?"

"Nearly, sir. Thomas here," he motioned towards a young and slightly scrawny looking man, who smiled nervously at the mention of his name, "He's still doing inventory on the crates of supplies, but besides that, the ship and crew is ready for your next command."

"Excellent, that'll do nicely. Thomas, you say? Aye, you must be the new Navigator I've heard about as well then?" Locke asked, looking curiously at the nervous boy.

"Y-yes, sir!" Thomas said, stepping forward and bowing deeply toward the Captain, his medium length brown hair falling around his face as he did so. "I'm looking forward to working on your crew very much! I hope you find my services satisfactory at least."

Stepping forward and putting his hand on the young man's shoulder – causing Thomas to stand up straight again rather stiffly – he nodded reassuringly, "There's no reason to be nervous, lad, I'm sure you will be a great asset to our crew. I've heard many good things about your navigation and organization skills and it'll suffice quite nicely, I'm sure."

Thomas nodded back eagerly before Locke stepped back once more and quickly looked over the remaining three men: Ryan, a masculine red headed man perhaps a few years his junior; Neil, a slightly older sailor than the Captain himself and a very traditional one at that; and Casey, another young man who had proved to be an excellent and sprite lookout and sailor on prior journeys.

"It'll be a pleasure working with the lot of you," Locke said finally as he finished his lookover, before turning his gaze on first mate Darius who stood quietly beside him, "I'm quite content with this lot, I am. Make sure they all get home within the hour, yourself included; you will all need a full night's sleep before we set out on our journey tomorrow. The Council has dispatched workers to help load the St. Opal so you lot are no longer needed around the docks."

"Very well then, Cap," he nodded before motioning to the rest of the crew. "You're all dismissed for the day. Report promptly tomorrow before the light of dawn! Any laggers will be left behind."

"Yes sir!" Cried the small group as they saluted the two higher ranking sailors before heading for home.

Silently watching the crew make their way off the docks, Darius finally turned to Locke and patted his shoulder firmly, "I must admit, I was rather nervous about making such a seemingly inane journey at first, but I feel things might actually go well for us this time."

"Aye, Darius, I feel the same. We're sure to find something out there," he said softly as he looked out into the horizon.

Darius crossed his arms across his chest as he too turned to face the ocean, and he closed his eyes for a brief moment as he thought to himself, "Tomorrow. There's a reason why you wanted to sail tomorrow."

"Amelia. Tomorrow is the day when.."

"You needn't go on. I know."

-----

The two day journey to the remote village was quite the hazardous one. The forest was untamed and most time was spent trying to get through the thick foliage that had grown across and blocked the old path. It was no wonder the village had remained hidden to Kane all this time. Nevertheless, he had finally arrived, but not before the village began to grow darker as sunset approached. The street lamps were already lit, and as he followed their guiding light into the village center, he was in awe of the state of the village. Melburn surely had its faults, but this place seemed so alien. The people appeared poor, yet not completely miserable; and it seemed, unlike in the poor sections of Melburn, one could walk down these village streets with no worry of being attacked by muggers or criminals. What an eccentric place he had come across!

As he crossed the village center, he caught sight of the docks and his heart immediately skipped a beat. He had not seen a ship up close since his childhood when his parents first brought him over from the northern country into this one. Despite how young he was, he remembered the excitement he had felt on his long voyage over; he felt the same excitement now as he grew nearer. However, there was a peculiar air about the docks this night; there was much activity despite the late evening hour, and he noticed village people gathered in groups throughout the dock, gossiping and chatting excitedly to one another. As far as he could tell, there was to be a voyage soon.

Nearing a pair of middle aged housewives, he stopped for a moment to think before exclaiming to himself at last, "How peculiar! I wonder, is there to be a voyage soon?"

Just as he expected, the gossipy pair overheard and immediately drew closer to him, whispering excitedly, "Have you not heard?"

"Oh, Ann, he must be from out of town, he must!"

"Poor dear! So you really haven't heard?"

He nodded in reply, "No, miss. I've indeed just come to town. Is this voyage very important to your village then?"

"Oh, important it is, laddie! Captain Locke Wickham himself is taking his crew on a voyage to find the lost land of Saman, at dawn tomorrow!"

"Indeed! It's the most important thing to happen to this small village in quite the number of years, you see."

"Quite! But some are calling them fools.. Saying they'll find nothing but sea monsters and pirates! Simply frightful it is!"

"Ohh, frightful, indeed!"

"I see then," Kane said finally.

His gaze returned to the large merchant ship before him, the chit chat of the two older women fading out gradually as he thought to himself. Saman – he had heard mention before, however.. Ah! Yes, he remembered now. Mary had told him herself the legends of the lost land. Even as a small child, the girl worked under the command of his parents' maids and butlers, having been left by her parents at their door years prior. Many nights passed where the two children would secretly meet within Kane's quarters and sit hidden within a makeshift tent of their own devising, telling stories to help each other through the lonelier nights, both often feeling quite neglected by the adults who raised them. One story was that of Saman.

_"__Do you really want to hear it? It's kinda scary!" The girl giggled quietly, as they sat huddled around Kane's lamp, their shadows bouncing to and fro about the bed sheets hung around them as the flame danced within the lamp._

_"__Tell me, please? Please!" A young Kane pleaded as quietly, "I'm not afraid!"_

_"__Are you sure about that?" She grinned._

_"__Silly girl, of course I'm sure! Now tell me the story!"_

_"__Okay then," She giggled more. "The head maid Susan told me this story.. They say that a long time ago, there was island filled with great monsters. The monsters had many powers, enough so if they were ever free from the island, they could destroy the world and all of us in it!"_

_"__Really? What was it called?"_

_"__Sal..mon? Sanam? ..Saman! That's it. The island of Saman. They say that the creatures used to be friendly to humans but humans tried to take advantage of them and the monsters sealed away the island.. I don't think they'd wanna destroy the world like everyone says.. I think they just want to be left alone."_

_"__The stupid adults always ruin everything.." Kane grumbled as he played with the handle on the lamp. "I want to go to Saman one day. Will you come with me?"_

_"__Oh, I don't know.. I'd be too afraid. They say that adults send children there who are naughty and they're never seen again!"_

_"__Stupid girl! Adults just say that to scare us.. It's not true at all."_

_"__Do you really believe that?"_

_"__Of course I do.."_

_"__Heehee, I think you're lying!" _

_"__Am not! And one day I'll go there without you and tell you about it.. And you'll be so angry you let the adults scare you!"_

_"__Liar! Hush you!"_

His memories were abruptly interrupted by what sounded to be church bells. He knew not how long he had been lost in thought, but now the sun was beginning to set; the sky turned a creamy looking orange-red as the sun slowly sunk its way into the horizon, its light reflecting across the wide glittering expanse of ocean before it. His gaze softened as he watched on, his earlier memory of Mary causing his heart to sink slightly. He may never have the chance to see her again and she hadn't spoken a word to him at their last meeting. Perhaps, she too felt this bitter sting of pain by their separation and didn't want to worsen the situation; perhaps, it was for the best.

Perhaps it was fate's hand that had led him here.

It was now growing dark rather quickly, and most of the gossiping groups of women and villagers had started for home. He stood alone for the most part, gazing thoughtfully at the large ship before him. The St. Opal, he read the fancy script painted onto the side of the bow of the ship. An idea was born within his mind and pondering for merely a quick few moments, he finally climbed the stairs of the loading dock, quickly – but quietly – walking around the several crates and supplies yet to be loaded onto the ship. Finally, he found what he needed: a large crate, large enough to hold several people at a time, sat huddled between the other masses of cargo – its wooden lid badly nailed onto the crate so that it was slightly ajar. Among the scattered supplies, he found a crowbar lying idly on the wooden dock and got to work prying the cover off carefully. When the opening was large enough to allow him passage comfortably, he threw his sack through the passage and then slowly squeezed himself inside. He was met with many sacks of various goods, many being bags of preserved fruits; he couldn't close the cover from his position inside, but he made sure to hide himself and his belongings comfortably underneath several bags of food. Knowing the general carelessness of the average grunt worker, they would merely peak inside then reseal the crate in order to load it onto the boat.

For now, he merely had to wait.

-----

Dawn came slowly but surely, and many villagers gathered around the docks in rabid excitement and anticipation. The crew was assembled on the deck awaiting their orders, Darius standing before them, quietly looking over the large gathering their impending voyage had attracted. His eyes narrowed slightly as he noticed Locke and company approaching the docks. Standing straight and tall, he greeted the Captain with a salute, as did the rest of the crew, before they were told to ease.

"The day has come! I trust the lot of ya are looking forward to the trip, aye?"

"Aye aye!" Came the cheerful reply from the crew members.

"Excellent. Now, for those of you who have not been given the honour, this is Webb, the one responsible for making this journey possible," he explained, motioning towards the eager young man at his side.

"I'm very excited about this trip, indeed! Pleased to meet you all," he said happily, being met with a consensual groan of approval from the crew.

"Now, this was quite unexpected but it seems we're to have another traveler among us, to whom I expect you all to provide with the utmost respect," Locke said with a slight air of superiority. "I introduce to you, Webb's fiancé, Lilani.

Having taken no notice of the woman beforehand, the men watched as she stepped forward from behind Webb, smiling brightly. She was quite the attractive young woman, with curly brown locks of hair falling softly to her shoulder and a lacy violet dress adorning her petite body.

"Merci, capitaine. I'm quite honoured to be joining you men on your voyage this day. It has been a dream of mine to travel the sea one day!" She explained herself pleasantly.

"Now, onwards to the business at hand, I –"

"Captain, I object wholeheartedly!" Came a cry from the crew.

"Object? What's the matter, Neil?" Locke asked, slightly irritated by this interruption.

"A woman aboard our ship? I mean no offense to you or the young woman, but you may as well plead for the sea to swallow us whole along with the St. Opal! We will surely be met with disaster, nonetheless!" Neil pleaded angrily.

"Now, Neil, you surely jest. You are not about to let silly superstitions keep us from our voyage. She is coming with us, whether the lot of you like it or not – it is not your place to decide," He said sternly with a slight air of anger.

The crew shrunk visibly at this reprimand, Neil obviously agitated by Locke's insistence to let the woman board their ship. Locke glanced at the now embarrassed Lilani as she clutched Webb's arm shyly, nodding at her in reassurance, before turning back to his equally embarrassed crew.

"If there are no other objections, shall we set sail?" He said finally, to be met with no reply. "Excellent. All hands on deck! Sails at full mast; the wind is with us this day."

"Aye aye!" Came the unison cry from the crew.

The crowds watched on, their cries and shouts echoing across the waters as the crew boarded and prepared the ship for departure. Soon, the anchors were drawn and all was ready. Locke stood on the starboard side of the St. Opal, overlooking the small village and its inhabitants.

Darius approached him from behind, quiet for a moment before finally saying with a grin, "Shall I give the command, ___Captain_ Locke?"

"Aye, go ahead, smartarse," Locke grinned as well.

Chuckling, Darius turned and walked back to his station, before loudly announcing, "All hands! Set sail.. for Saman!"

With those last words, the boat slowly but surely drew out from the docks – the crowds cheering it on its way – and set sail towards the east. Locke remained at his position on the starboard side, staring intently at the disappearing village as the ship gained speed gradually. The sea air was potent in both strength and smell, blowing his short hair about wildly, as he hesitantly reached through the neck of his worn white shirt, revealing a pendant hung around his neck on a golden chain. The pendant was a depiction of the yin yang symbol of Asian lore, and it shone brightly in the morning sun, twelve various small jewels adorning it. He gazed at it solemnly before looking across the horizon, the village growing smaller and smaller. He sighed softly.

_-----_


	3. Chapter 2: Images of the Past

Hello, hello, me again:0 Sorry for the long wait for this chapter.. It's actually been done for quiet some time (except for the last part) but I'm a marching band geek in the fall season and my time is otherwise occupied with other matters! Anywho, yeah. By the end of this chapter, it's obvious there's gonna be some action at last. I've felt the story has dragged by pretty slow thus far, but hopefully, that'll change with the coming chapter. I've finally introduced a Pokemon (sorta!). Also, there were meant to be a lot more "past sequence" type things but I felt it made the chapter needlessly long.. So you'll learn about the character's past elsewhere, no worries. Well, thanks for reading and hope you'll enjoy. - _Last Legal Drug_

-----

**Chapter 2 - Images of the Past**

With great care, Thomas examined the large array of maps and charts spread before him on the small cabin table, taking careful notes occasionally in the small ship log he rested on his lap. There was not much light to be had in the small cabin, night having fallen just a few moments prior. Straining his eyes to reread his notes, he sighed before leaning back in his chair and extending his arms in the air slowly as he stretched. Indeed, it had been a long couple of days for the young navigator and general record keeper; he was working hard to earn his place among the renown Locke Wickham's crew and in doing so, he bothered very little with rest. He was sure to record every detail of their travels, their food rations, affairs aboard the ship – anything worth remembering.

Nonetheless, fatigue soon began to overcome the man's will to work, and slowly his eyelids began to fall, the light of the nearby oil lamp softly fazing away. This imminent rest was brought to an abrupt halt however as Locke stepped into the cabin, its wooden door closing on its own with a bang. Thomas sat up with a start, knocking the ship log off his lap. Locke, looking tired himself, glanced at the log lying on the floor for a moment, before chuckling and stepping before the table. He picked up a random paper from the navigator's collection and scanned it quickly.

"Sorry to interrupt yer nap," he grinned playfully, "But have ya got the course mapped out for the day tomorrow?"

"Y-yes, sir," he stammered as he sheepishly rubbed the sleep from his eyes, "It's all ready."

"How long do you reckon it'll take us to hit any land?" Locke asked, tenderly placing the paper back in its place on the table.

"It's very difficult to tell, I'm afraid," he said quietly as he leaned over to retrieve the log from the floor. "The old Naajkit map seems quite accurate to the naked eye; yet the proportions of the lands are all off, and there's no way of telling how far apart everything is as the artist behind the map did not imply a certain type of measure of any sort. It was probably all estimated. I can only navigate us in its general direction and hope we hit land before we begin to exhaust our supplies and have to turn back."

"I figured that much," he sighed thoughtfully. "Very good though, I'm quite pleased with your work. Please, go below deck soon and get some rest tonight."

"Oh, but sir, there's so much mo–"

"I insist, Thomas. It'll make me feel better knowing my entire crew is getting the proper amount of rest. The sea is not the most opportune place to fall ill," he said sternly.

"I understand then. I'll head down just as soon as I finish today's log."

"Make it a fast one, eh?" Locke smirked, before turning to and opening the cabin door. "I'll see ya tomorrow then."

"You shall; goodnight, sir."

"Do me a favour, lad? Call me Locke."

"Oh! Yes, si– Locke!"

"Good boy!" Locke chuckled before stepping out of the cabin and letting the door shut behind him with another loud bang. He walked out onto the deck, the echo of his boots against the wooden floor the only sound besides that of the calm ocean waves against the hull of the ship. Pausing for a moment as he gazed at the stars above, each glowing brilliantly in the navy blue sky, he noticed a faint noise coming from below deck. Gradually, the noise grew louder, like there was a fight going on in the galley. Before he could turn to find out what the racket was, he was met with a slightly breathless Casey who had ran up to the deck searching for him.

"Aye, Cap'n, you'll never believe it! A stowaway! A real, live stowaway, hahaha!"

-----

The loud groan of the shifting floorboards echoed through the small, grim cabin below deck as the ship swayed rhythmically in the harsh ocean storm just outside. Sitting on a thin mattress placed on the floor, Kane shifted uncomfortably as he stared down at his red wrists which were tied together, quite tightly, with rope.

"A fine mess you've gotten yourself into.." He grumbled to himself, recalling the events the night before. After they had set sail, he managed to escape the crate in which he hid himself; for the next few days, he snuck whatever food he needed away from the galley when the crew was busy up on deck and slept hidden among the cargo. However, the night prior he mistakenly thought the galley was empty – when in actuality, Lilani had quietly come down to retrieve a drink for Thomas and herself. In short, he was greeted with a fearful shriek and moments later by most of the crew who proceeded to capture him and lock him away in this dreaded room. He'd seen neither hide or hair of them for hours since and feared for the worse. A fine mess indeed.

Suddenly as if on cue, he noticed the slight sound of footsteps, gradually growing louder until a shadow could be seen from beneath the door. A jingling of keys and the door swung open, three men entering immediately one after the other. He recognized two instantly: the red headed brute that had tackled him to the floor earlier, and the quiet black haired young man who simply stood at the back and watched as the crew captured and interrogated him. However, he couldn't recall the taller of the three, one slightly muscular in build with graying blonde hair.

"So what have we got here, then, Ryan?" Said the particular man in question.

"Well, as you already know," he replied as he pulled the key out of the door and shot Kane a disapproving glance, "Lilani caught him sneaking about the galley. We're not sure where he came from; most likely smuggled himself onto the ship with the cargo before we left port."

"Is that right, boy?" The blonde man was now addressing him directly.

Stunned momentarily by the sternness in the man's voice, Kane gulped slightly before replying, "Yes, sir."

"Now, I've been captain of this ship for a long time, boy," he said calmly as he slowly stepped towards the young man who remained sitting on the mattress, "And it ain't never been right to sneak aboard another man's ship unawares."

_The Captain. Locke.. Wickham, was it? So this was the man he had heard of back at the village port._

"So tell me. What possessed you to be such a fool and sneak aboard my ship?"

Glancing at his red wrists again for a few silent moments, he looked up at the three men standing before him. The red head – Ryan, was it? – stood quietly by the door as he dangled the ring of keys from his index finger and looked on with a scowl. The younger of the three leaned against the wall, his cold stare causing Kane to shiver very slightly. Finally, he stared straight at the Captain, who had begun to tap his right foot inaudibly against the wooden floor.

"I – wanted to join you. Your crew. On this journey," He finally said before pausing for a response; when none came, he continued, "You're on your way to Saman, are you not? I had just come upon the village when I heard about the journey.. And I thought–"

"That you'd take it upon yourself to be a parasite on this ship, and slowly exhaust our supplies behind our backs," The cold young man in the back said, nearly surprising Kane. "This journey has been planned specifically for a certain number of people. Do you realize you could have compromised everything?"

Kane said nothing.

"While Darius has a harsher way of expressing it," Locke was almost grinning, "He's right. I don't know the reason why you took it on yourself to stowaway on my ship, but it doesn't matter. It could have cost us very dearly."

Looking again at his wrists, with a slight look of shame on his face, he spoke quietly, "I didn't think.. I mean.. I didn't realize–"

"It doesn't matter now. We can't change what's already been done," Locke interrupted him, before pausing, the cabin becoming completely silent with the exception of the groaning boards.

Anxious in the silence, Kane looked up at the Captain and said softly, "Then.. What's going to happen to me now?"

"That depends," Locke finally responded, turning to look at Darius. "You're on our ship now. And we don't plan to turn back. That leaves one question: do you plan to work for your place on the St. Opal? Or would you rather rot in this cabin?"

"I'll.. I'll work! Of course, anything!" He spurted out, the idea of rotting away in this cabin unbearable to even think of.

"What do you think then, Darius?" Locke asked his first mate, before he turned back to look at the desperate young man on the floor.

Darius, too, looked at the young man, his gaze remaining ever cold and unfeeling, "If he's willing to work for his place, I see no inherent harm in it."

Ryan chimed in, spinning the ring of keys around his finger idly, "Lucky for you, boy, we planned for emergency rations and supplies."

"Indeed. It's settled then. You're in." Locke reached into his pocket for something before drawing his fist out, and with a flick of his wrist, a long silver blade drew from the pocket knife he held hidden in his hand. He kneeled before Kane, taking his wrists in one hand before cutting part of the rope with one swift movement, the rest undoing itself and falling loosely on the young man's legs. Kane immediately rubbed his sore and bruised wrists as Locke stood once more, depositing the knife back in his pocket as he stepped back.

"Now then. What's yer name, lad?" The Captain asked, his tone slightly friendlier than just the moment before.

"My name," he said, slowly pushing himself to his feet and extending his arm forward, "Kane.. Scarborough." He hesitated before his last name, it leaving a sour taste in his mouth upon uttering it.

Ryan's eyes seemed to brighten in recognition for a moment, but he said nothing. Locke, cheerfully smiling now, extended his arm forward as well and took Kane's hand firmly in his grasp, before shaking it enthusiastically, "Well then. It's nice to have you aboard, Kane."

Though he winced as Locke grasped and shook his aching arm, Kane managed to return the smile.

_What have you gotten yourself into now?_

-----

_Gasping for air, the young man sped down the old dirt road, jumping bushes and obstacles in his path, his long blonde ponytail waving wildly behind him as he ran. Passing through a thick section of trees, he finally saw sight of the town church, the giant clock at its front reading 5:30. _

Damnit! Damnit! If only the carriage wheel hadn't have broken.. Ten minutes it cost me, at the very least! Damnit!

_Despite his realization, he continued his run at the same fast pace, leaving concerned villagers in his wake. However, upon seeing the familiar lamp post of the red brick house, his pace quickened even more. Soon, he had burst through the front door and run desperately into the first room. It was here he finally came to an abrupt halt. Before him sat a long bed, it's silk white sheets draped daintily over the weak and shriveling figure of a beautiful young woman. At her side stood a young teenage boy, his short black hair quite disheveled; his bottom lip was slightly swollen and dry blood covered his chin and forehead. As the other man entered the room, he stood immediately, wobbling slightly as he fought to keep his balance on his injured leg, his bruised eyes swelling with tears._

"_Oh, God, it's you! Please.. Please forgive me, I couldn't stop them!"_

_The young boy's pleading continued; however, the other heard nothing. He merely stared ahead in horror at the young woman lying upon the bed; her body was a ghostly pale white and her face and hazel hair caked with blood. Through the translucent white sheets, it was obvious she was bleeding in several other places. She was a terrible mess. _

"_The doctor is on his way.. Oh, please, forgive me, please!"_

_Slowly, the man walked to the woman's side, almost ignoring the boy as he sobbed desperately beside him. Kneeling, he took her cold hand in his. The warmth of his hands caused her to stir slightly, and nearly smiling in sheer thankfulness, he looked on as she turned her head very slowly to look at him, her swollen eyes open very slightly._

"_Oh.. You made it.." Came the scratchy, weak voice. "I was afraid.. I might.."_

"_Oh, Amelia.." The man said as strongly as he could, yet his voice cracked very slightly as he fought his tears. "You're alive. I was so scared.. What.. What did they do to you?"_

"_I was afraid.. I wouldn't see you again.." She smiled very weakly, very sadly. "I'm glad.."_

"_Amelia.. Can't you hear me?"_

"_Oh so glad.."_

"_Oh Amelia! Please! Please listen to me! ..Amelia?"_

_But no response came._

-----

Slosh. Slosh. Slosh.

Wiping the beads of sweat from his forehead with the palm of his hand, Kane sighed as he leaned to the side, using his mop as support, and looked out into the ocean. Deck swabber. While it was better than being a prisoner, it wasn't the sort of adventure he had hoped for on the high seas; he would still be able to see Saman however, so in the end, it wasn't a complete loss. He'd just have to be patient.

As he grudgingly continued his mopping, the rest of the deck was alive with activity. The crew walked back and forth across the deck, busy with their tasks and chores for the day. Locke and Thomas stood outside the cabin, busy over a map and pointing in significant directions as they discussed the course of the ship. Over on the port side, Lilani and Webb stood isolated by the stairwell, laughing vigorously.

"Oh, mon ami! You are simply too much!" Lilani exclaimed as she giggled, her cheeks a blushing red from the content of his jokes.

Winking, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him, "I try my best, darling. Whatever it takes to keep you entertained."

"Oh, Ian.." She smiled at him for a moment, before jumping slightly as the sound of footsteps sounded from the stairwell behind the lovesome couple. The two turned at once, to see it was Darius emerging from under the deck.

"Monsieur Darius, you startled me!" Lilani said as her cheeks turned an even deeper red.

"Oh. Excuse me if I've disrupted your conversation," He said peculiarly, as if he had just noticed they were there. "I was just checking the stock."

"No need to apologize, Darius, all's well," Webb smiled reassuringly.

"Very well then," He nodded. "Well, if you will please excuse me.."

Quietly, as the pair watched him quietly walk away towards the Captain, Lilani tilted her head slightly to the right in a curious stare, "The man.. He is so serious, no?"

"Serious, indeed. I think I may have seen him grin once or twice when talking to Locke, but otherwise, he's as cold as ice," Webb reflected. "A strange one, he is."

"I wonder if –" she suddenly paused, looking to and fro curiously.

"What is it, Lilani?" Webb said as he cocked his right eyebrow.

"Do you hear that?" She stepped forward a couple feet, listening. "How very queer.."

He began to speak, but suddenly, he heard it too. A strange high pitched caw of some sort from the distance; but what could it be? Suddenly, there came a cry from above in the eagle's nest.

"C-captain! To the north! There's a – creature up in the sky!" Cried Casey as he pointed eagerly from his spot up above.

Webb and Lilani started in surprise as the Captain rushed through them towards the side of the ship and looked into the sky. Sure enough, there it was; a large bird-like creature on massive wings flew circling overhead, its long curling feathers flowing from the top of its head. Darius soon rushed to his side and they both stood for a moment staring at the strange spectacle.

"What – what do you make of it, Locke?" Darius finally spoke.

"I would like to believe it isn't a threat," he said as he narrowed his eyes, "But it's as if it's following us. I have a bad feeling."

As if on cue, there came another cry from the eagle's nest.

"..Captain! We have trouble! Due northeast!"

He immediately turned to look, and surely enough, he saw it.

"It's a massive ship, coming right for us! It's flying.. A black flag!"

Lilani clutched Thomas' arm nervously as they watched the Captain, who stood quietly in his place, staring ahead at the oncoming vessel.

Darius glanced at them and the rest of the crew before turned to Locke at last, "Locke.."

"I was hoping it wouldn't come to this.."

Darius' eyes flashed for a moment with a light of familiarity; he shook it off, and continued, "What do you propose we do?"

"The cannons will take too long to arm; all the supplies are still in the hold. Take the crew, everyone, and secure yourselves down in the cabins. I will face them on deck."

"Are you insane?" Darius retorted with a slight air of irritation. "You're only one man; I will not let you face a band of – pirates! Especially not on your own.."

"Pirates!" The gravity of the situation finally made itself clear, and Lilani clutched even tighter at her fiance's arm. Webb comforted her for a moment, and Locke turned to look at them, the look on his face distraught. Suddenly, a shrill shriek came from above, and the large bird descended on them. They all ducked instinctively as it flew effortlessly over them and onto the deck, landing with a hollow boom. It spread its wings wide out to its sides as it pointed its beak to the sky, standing menacingly at almost five feet as it cast its dark shadow on the deck. Locke quickly stepped before Darius and the couple and stood with his arm spread as if to shield them in case the creature were to attack. Kane and the rest of the crew stepped back and soon the bird dominated the center of the deck. From above, Casey looked on in terror at the strange creature below, then at the ship; as it grew closer, their fears were confirmed: a single black flag flapped quickly in the wind atop one of the ship's masts, a white skull at its center.

-----


	4. Chapter 3: Scurvey Dogs

_After almost a two year hiatus and thanks to my lovely fiance's own inspiring writing, I've managed to pick up my story from where I left off. :D I'm very happy to be back, though I feel it might take me a while before I get into the full swing of writing it again. Please bear with me. And for now, enjoy the new, albeit short, chapter! And forgive me if I go on hiatus again. XD **- Last Legal Drug**_

--

**Chapter 3 – Scurvy Dogs**

"PIGE-OOOT!" The large creature shrieked, spreading its massive wings at its sides and glaring menacingly at the bewildered crew. Locke gritted his teeth tightly as he stared at the intimidating spectacle standing before them, his arms still spread out in a feeble attempt to offer his fellow crew whatever protection he could muster. Wings still spread, the massive bird-like creature began to step towards them slowly, its large footsteps echoing on the dead silent deck. Lilani whimpered in fear into Webb's shoulder as Locke signaled them all to step back while he stood his ground, determined yet fearful eyes vigilantly set on his massive opponent.

Seconds dragged on like eternities until the bird had finally made its way to Locke, its shadow looming over him like an evil presence and its eyes peering into his unflinchingly. Suddenly, it flapped its wings slightly, pointing its beak to the sky and letting out another one of its spine tingling screeches. Though shivering in fright, Locke did not budge as he was determined to protect his friends and crew; however, as the entire crew, including the poor lookout observing overhead, concentrated on the bird's next move, they did not notice that the enemy ship had already reached their own – and with the skill and swift movements one may expect to find in those greatly accustomed to thieving at sea, three figures boarded and made their way towards the unsuspecting crew.

"Down, ya crazy bird. I think the poor old geezer's 'bout to stain his knickers."

Almost immediately, the bird relaxed its wings and rested them at its side, bowing its head slightly in recognition of its master's orders and stepping back and behind the strangers. Slowly, Locke put his arms down and took notice for the first time the intruders on his ship. He first noticed a young man, standing before the two others with a confidence and obnoxious demeanor typical for his kind. His left ear and eyebrow glittered in the sunlight, adorned with various golden earrings and piercings. Behind him stood a rather meek looking young girl, long blonde hair resting neatly on her shoulders with a single line of beads dangling before her face from her hair, who seemed to stare more at her feet than at Locke himself. Finally, and surprisingly, another woman stood behind the young man, long brown bangs hiding what seemed to be a black eye patch strewn across her right eye; her good eye, purple and glistening, stared straight ahead at the older man with a certain air of curiosity.

After a moment, as the rest of the crew looked on in awe, Locke gathered the courage to speak, "Pirates.. aren't ya? And I suppose you're the leader?"

A giant grin adorned the young man's face, "Ye got that right, ye scurvy old fart! And we're here to--"

Suddenly, he was interrupted as the brown haired woman stepped forward to his side, pushing him away gruffly and sending him stumbling off to the right.

"OW! What'd ye do that for, ya crazy--"

The younger girl giggled as she remained in the back and observed, and now standing at the front, the brown haired woman leaned her weight onto her right foot and rested her hand on her hip, her free hand flipping her bangs to the side and out of her face to reveal her eye patch in full.

"Ye'll have to excuse Antoine," she finally spoke, shooting him a cold glare as he regained his balance, "He seems to forget his place 'round here all too often. Nay, it is I who leads this here crew. And I take it that ye be the Captain of this.. homely little boat."

In the back, the crew looked and whispered to one another in wonder and panic, and annoyance in the old fashioned Neil's case, as the three strange figures stood before them. A tinge of annoyance flashed across Locke's eyes at the insinuation that his beloved ship was "homely," however he kept his cool and stood up straight as he regained his composure.

"'ay, lass, that'd be me. Locke Wickham's the name and this here is the St. Opal. Now what is yer business here? We do not take kindly to your type."

Taking no heed to his words, she glanced around the ship nonchalantly and sighed, "Homely indeed. I expected a ship traveling so far into dangerous waters to be a lot more.. well, richly stocked, but ye don't seem to have much, do ye? In fact, most of yer crew look downright poor. How disappointing." She paused as she surveyed the men and her eyes finally stopped upon Webb and Linali, lighting up almost immediately. "Ah but I seem to have spoken prematurely, eh? What have we here?"

She began to step forward, but suddenly and out of the corner of Locke's eye, Darius ran around to stand in front of him, this time throwing his arms in the air, "Not one step closer, pirate! You're not to touch a hair on any person aboard this ship! Now remove yourself, and return the way in which you came, or--"

Chuckling and cutting off his words, now obviously a great habit of hers, the woman looked to Darius in amusement, both hands resting on her hips now as she stared back at the young man's cold gaze. Swiftly, she reaches behind her and pulls a peculiar looking contraption from her belt; Darius freezes as he realizes it's a pistol.

"Now now. Ye wouldn't want me to use this, now would ye?" She smiled, waving the pistol around carelessly at the crew before her. "Ye don't seem to understand the situation, m'lad. So let me introduce meself. The name is Rita, notorious pirate captain of the Eastern seas. This here," she waved her gun to the right, "is me partner, Antoine," and then to the left, "and this here quiet one is Sara. Homely as it is, this ship here is now ours and ye all shall do as we say," she paused as she lifted the pistol to her eye level and observed it for a brief moment, "lest ye face the mouth of me dear friend here. Now walk."

On that note, her two companions herded together the bewildered crew, including Casey who they forced to come down from the eagle's nest, and led them below deck, separating them as they saw fit and tossing them within the few cabins strewn about the hold. As Kane was thrust into a cabin with both Lilani and Webb, he rubbed his forehead and looked around the room, realizing he was back in the makeshift prison where this weird adventure began. Rubbing his bottom, on which he had landed with a hard thump, he made his way back to the thin mattress on the floor and plopped down to take a seat.

"Well," he grumbled to himself as he glanced at the frightened couple on the other side of the room, "This just keeps getting better and better.."

--

_Tears streaming down his face, Darius shivered and rocked silently in his seat as he watched the events unfold before him. Amelia was dead and for the last five minutes, Locke sat quietly by her side, stroking her pale, cold hands in his. How quickly things had unfolded since she and Darius had gone out to sea. Locke had been out of town on business, helping to sell the latest harvests and fish to the distant villages and towns. Darius couldn't have known what would happen. He couldn't have known the dangers hidden in the sea and neither could Amelia._

_"Darius!" She had cried as he entered Locke's then homely and unfurnished fishing cabin, "Locke is out of town! This is the perfect time!"_

_"Oh, Amelia, I thought you had left with Locke?" He smiled as he inquired._

_"No, silly – I stayed behind. Remember what I told you, about the region to the west?"_

_"Ah.. Yes, I think so."_

_"Well, wouldn't this be the perfect time to sail there? My friend owns a very lovely French boutique in the harbor village. She promised me the perfect engagement present for the next time I visited."_

_"Amelia, you know I'm still in training. I couldn't just take the ship without Locke's knowing.. What would he say? Besides, couldn't we travel by foot?"_

_Pouting, she grabbed his arm and pleaded, "Please, Darius, you should know better. The village is on the other side of the mountains and we'd never be back in time. Sailing will make things so much faster.. And this means so much to me. You know Locke is too strong willed to propose. I have to do this – it'll be the perfect surprise for when he returns. He was already suspicious this time when I asked to stay behind; this could be my last and only chance!"_

_"But.. I.." He lowered his eyes, thinking over the consequences. Surely, Locke would be furious, but it would all be alright in the end, right? Surely her engagement present would smooth everything over and his friend would forgive him. Yet, he still felt a great amount of dread at the prospect._

_"Please, brother?" She continued to plead._

_Finally, he smiled reluctantly and agreed, "Fine, Amelia. You win this time – but you owe me!"_

_"Oh thank you so much! You won't regret it, brother, I swear!"_

_Oh, but how wrong she was. The journey to the west went undisturbed, but it seemed they had only just set out to return to their own village when they found themselves facing down the loaded guns of a local, and ruthless, pirate gang. The small crew Darius had gathered was gone in a matter of moments, and unsatisfied with such easy kills, they then set their sights upon the young pair. The rest of that day is blotched and blurred but as he awoke, he realized their bodies had been thrown to the sea and they had been washed onto the shore. He found Amelia, but her life hung by a thin and fragile thread. All these events had led up to now, and despite Darius' efforts, Amelia's light burned out quickly and afforded Locke very little time to say goodbye. This shook the poor boy even more as he clutched himself and wept. He loved his sister but he knew he would never begin to imagine the way Locke could be feeling. _

_"Get out."_

_These words interrupted the boy's train of thought and he glanced up, realizing Locke had turned his gaze to him; in his eyes, he saw nothing by hatred._

_"Wh.. What do you mean, Lo--"_

_"I said get out!" He bellowed furiously, rising to his feet and grabbing Darius by his collar, lifting him to his feet as well and glaring down into his eyes, "I never want to see your pitiful face again. Get out of here, you wretch."_

_On that final note, he flung upon the door and thrust the boy out onto the floor, closing the door swiftly behind him. For the next few moments, he remained on the floor, in awe and fear, as he stared up at the door and hoped that it would reopen. But it did not, and thus he remained, wallowing in his self pity and ignoring the doctor's knocking at the front door._

_--_

"Would you mind if I had some rum, please?" The quiet Sara asked, her hands neatly folded in her lap and in sharp contrast with her surrounding peers.

Antoine sat atop the table, chugging down his own bottle of rum, as Rita sat across from him in the Captain's chair, legs crossed and propped up on the table as she juggled a bright green apple slowly from one hand to the other. Slamming down his own bottle on the table, Antoine threw a sarcastic gaze to Rita, who grinned, before reaching down at the side of the table and into a crate of rum.

"Silly wench, when are ye gonna learn? Ye don't have to ask! Just take what ye want; that's what this is all about!" He blabbed, rather loudly, as he slid the bottle down the table.

"Well, you know I don't like to be rude, brother" she smiled and reached for the bottle, before addressing Rita, "So, what are we gonna do about those people?"

"Ye know, I haven't figured that part out yet, Sara," she sighed before finally taking a bite out of the crisp apple. After chewing for a moment, she swallowed and continued, "The last ship was loaded! As are most merchant ships. But this lot -- they don't have any valuables; just a bunch of food and drink. The ship doesn't seem like it would sell for much, either. Methinks we wasted our time over nothing."

"Bite yer tongue, Rita," snapped Antoine. "They gotta have something."

"Nothing," she said as she looked over her apple once more, "Though I did find a mighty peculiar thing in the ole Captain's cabin."

"You mean that old fart?"

"Yeh, that be the one. Had an old map folded up in the ship log. Can't figure out for the life of me what it's 'sposed to mean – it's not even written in English."

"Ye think we could sell it?"

"Not for much."

"This really has been a bit of a waste, then, hasn't it?" Sara finally chimed in.

"That's what I said," Rita sighed, tossing the apple behind her in disinterest. After a moment, she slid her legs from atop the table and stood, stretching her arms out at her sides and yawning, "Yet, I can't help but wonder where such a pitiful crew could be heading. There ain't nothing out in the East. They gotta be crazy or..."

"Maybe they're looking for something?"

"That's right, little Sara, just what me ole noggin was thinking," Rita smiled.

"Well, let's go beat the truth outta those buggers, then!" Antoine leaped from his seat on the table and to the floor with a loud thud.

"Ye better follow yer advice, boy, and bite yer own tongue," she warned, her voice more stern than before, "Nay, I got an idea. Ye both can leave it to me. Now go up and make sure that flea bitten bird ain't tearing up the deck."

Glancing at each other, both Sara and Antoine knew they should listen to her orders and thus they left for the deck. For a moment, Rita remained standing before the table, seemingly lost in thought before she grabbed the cabin keys off her belt, "Let's see what our little crew has to say then, eh?" Twirling the keys around her fingers and humming, she stepped down the ladder and disappeared deeper below into the holds.


End file.
